Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization for the preparation and applications of brush-modified inorganic nanoparticles

Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (SI-ATRP) is a pivotal technique in materials science, essential for growing polymer brushes on the surfaces of inorganic nanoparticles to create advanced polymer/inorganic nanocomposites. SI-ATRP originates from the broader ATRP methodology. ATRP involves a reversible redox process mediated by transition metal catalysts, which control radical polymerization. SI-ATRP extends this mechanism to surfaces, allowing for the precise grafting of polymer chains directly from nanoparticle substrates. The core of this technique lies in the careful selection and modification of nanoparticle surfaces to introduce effective ATRP initiators. One of the fundamental systems in this domain is inorganic nanoparticles grafted with polymer brushes, which are characterized by adjustable molecular attributes and intricate interactions. These systems provide a versatile platform for designing and synthesizing novel materials with diverse properties and applications, where particle brushes act as one-component composite materials or multifunctional fillers for high-performance nanocomposites. They are driving innovation in nanotechnology, biotechnology and materials engineering. This review critically examines the molecular design of tethered polymer chains from various particles and the development of particle brush materials for applications in energy, medical and catalytic fields, as well as in advanced nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties, responsiveness, optical properties, dielectric properties and transmission characteristics.